thinking of starting uni

obviously down the track a little but I really want to go to uni and get a "real" career, I love being a WAHM and wont give up on that but I think I need some "me" time.
Now I have to figure out which passion of mine i'll go for:
Law - because i want to make a difference and feel like ive really helped someone and wanted to do law for years
or
something in the creative field which could help my work at home business as i learn new skills etc and ill partner that with a business course

not sure which to pick but thats not the point of this thread!

How do you juggle finances and uni as uni can be exxy (not sure how student loans etc are run)
How do you juggle study and small children?
Do you wish you'd have waited til the kids were older?

Any advice for me really would be great!

I'm not a SAHM yet, but I'm currently back at uni. As for the juggling of the finances, this semester I'm paying for my subjects via direct debit (fortnightly payments - subjects to be paid for before exam week), but I've put the forms in for "fee help" which is basically HECS (your student loan type thing that you pay off once you earn a certain wage), when the paying via direct debit for the subjects gets too much (currently $450 a fortnight) I'll swap to the fee help (which I will start paying back straight away because of the money I earn).

As for the studying, in the past I found it better if I just headed to the library for an hour or so after a lecture/tute (unless it finished at 9pm!) to re-write my notes and do a bit of study. I also used to schedule in my study time, you'll probably need to look at daycare options, for when you're at uni and for probably a day a week when you need to study.

When I fall pregnant, it is going to be interesting juggling uni and pregnancy as I have lab hours and some of the stuff we work with is harmful during pregnancy, am trying to get those subjects over and done with as soon as possible or will be putting them off until after bub is born.

Good luck with it all.

You can do several different Law degrees online via correspondence, which means you can take your time - you have up to 10 years to finish the degree.

FEE HELP will pay for the fees, books etc are on top and your expense.
You can get AUSTUDY - but this is means tested, so DH's salary comes into it. CL are fabulous - they force mothers to get back into the workforce, but won't support you to study to go back into the workforce qualified if your husband is earning too much money... Stupid.

Anyway, it is tough to juggle everything, but that is why I am doing mine online, means I am at home and have no issues with all that.

Good luck!

ETA: You need to allow about 10 hours a week per unit of study. One Unit is part-time, 2 unit are full time, per term.

Thanks Lime I was thinking about doing it online but worried about what help you get for example your stuck on something or need advice etc can you still get that?


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I have 4 kids and am studying full time. I waited until the two oldest boys were in school, so I only have daycare for my twins. It is expensive, but I get a good discount based on my income and my FTB just about covers all childcare. Books, etc, are expensive too but I have managed to get most of them second hand. I don't get austudy or any other benefits because my husband works full time and earns a decent wage, so other than FTB and childcare rebate/benefits (which is actually a very generous amount) we are on our own.

The cost of the degrees I have deferred (the HECS scheme) so I won't pay anything until I am earning, but I will be $25,000 in debt at that point. My credit card is not looking too healthy either, with all the books and things we have put on it, as well as general costs (new car had to go on the credit card because we couldn't get a loan - long story). I can see we will be in masses of debt when I finally graduate in 2015. However I know things will be easier then because I will have a wage, not to mention a hoverboard and flying car as promised by Marty McFly in Back to the Future part II :lol:

The hardest thing is juggling class hours/study with children and family life. My husband is willing to help but he is still stuck in the mindset that the kids/house are my responsibility and earning money is his. It's very difficult to sit looking at a pile of dirty dishes but prioritising the essay that is due. From other mums on the course who have gone from sole responsibilities of the children, to sharing them so they can study, this is a very common theme. It's also stressful having less money day to day, but you just need to remember this is short term and will be worth it when you are earning a decent wage.

Thanks hun that's around when I was thinking too waiting until DD2 is at school then it's only daycare for the twins. There's still lots to weigh up and work out my in laws think it's a stupid idea I should be home playing perfect housewife lol but why can't I do something for me which down the track will greatly benefit my family


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I'm a fulltime working mum of two and I am studying full time, two degrees, Social work and Law, both external obviously.lol

I use HELP(The new term for HECS) which means you only pay once you hit the threshold and its taken out of your wage with your tax. I'm not sure of the exact sum they take out of my wage each fortnight. And as for text books, you don't have to buy them if you cannot afford too. You can use the uni library and just borrow and they post out to you if you are external. Most unis have a student loan facility too where as long as you can afford to repay the loan (usually of about $500) you can purchase the text books with it. But please be aware Law text books are bloody expensive at around $150 each and for this semester I needed 6 text books, so very expensive and sometimes you really don't need to purchase them all.

The biggest challenge with studying the balance of finding the time. My kids are 4 and 5 and I study when they are in bed at night, team that with working fulltime makes for one exhausted Mum!LOL But I love studying, love the challenge and especially love it when I do well. It really makes getting a distinction all that more satisfying when you know what obstacles you've had to dodge to get the assessment completed let alone pass!lol

And another piece of advice, don't let others negativity about you studying affect you. I cannot tell you the number of times I have heard such rude comments about how my kids must suffer, never see me, I must not like spending time with them...blah blah blah. Go for it I say!!! And goodluck!

You get all sorts of support, it is fabulous. All your lecturers are an email or forum post away, a phone call even most of them. But the student community is all external too, so everyone is in the same boat re support and happy to help each other.
There are lectures, tutes, workgroups and study groups, all like on campus, they just happen online on a forum (so no trouble getting the hang of that ;P).

You get a student card etc and have access to all the uni facilities as any on campus student would, so can use the libraries but you also have the online access to the libraries and databases. Some people do get together too with others in their tutes who are in the same area to study and meet up.

It really is self-guided in every sense - you choose how much involvement you have with other students, how and where you study, what resources you access to do it.

I think though you need to look at what type of student you are, how you learn most effectively and how self disciplined you are. I know external study is not for some, and it can create more problems than it solves, but for me it is the only option.
We get very very little in way of Child Care Benefit, due to DH's wage, not FTB etc, so therefore no Austudy for me, but I CAN access FEE HELP, so I do. And this way the kids don't need to go into extra child care. DD1 is at kinder 3 days a week for 5.5 hours, and once DD2 is a little older we will be getting a nanny in to help out (works better for us than CC).

Glad you asked this question Nikkie, interested in the replies, as I want to study again as well, something to compliment my Occupational Therapy degree, probably from home. Let me know how you get on,

I'm a pregnant mum of 7 doing a full time double degree at uni (on campus) and I absolutely love it. The lecturers and tutors are really understanding - I took my two oldest kids to lectures and tutorials one day because they had a student free day at their high school and nobody cared. I have also deferred my fees, so we'll have a big fat debt when I'm finished but it's worth it.

Even studying full time, I'm only at uni 2 days a week during school hours. This means I don't attend the lectures for 2 out of 4 of my subjects, but last semester I received a high distinction and 3 distinctions without attending any lectures at all. This is doable because most universities put the audio and powerpoints of lectures online through a program called Lectopia. I usually email my lecturers at the beginning of the semester to let them know the deal.

The only time I find it quite stressful is when assignments are due. This is probably due to me being a perfectionist where essays are concerned and I edit them to death and beyond which takes a lot of time.

I did one study period through open universities and hated it, because I need the structure that being on campus brings. I also enjoy meeting face to face with my fellow students. My best friend also had the same problem, so I suggest that you go on campus unless you're really motivated.

Good luck!